I have heard that there is some similarity in the code used for both Ubuntu and Android programs, but has there been any mention in all the recent publicity over the forthcoming Ubuntu OS for phones, whether or not existing Android apps will be compatible with Ubuntu?

4 Answers
4

So far, the Ubuntu QML toolkit is just a preview, so there is no definite answer possible.
But Richard Collins, head of Ubuntu mobile products, has stated in an engadget interview:

Q: Since Android is also Linux-based, is there any plan for Ubuntu to
run Android apps?

A: Many Android developers already use Ubuntu as their desktop OS and
we have a very close affinity with them. We intend to encourage them
to make their Android applications run on Ubuntu, but we won't
engineer any middleware for running Android apps. Developers are
intelligent and capable enough to make their apps run on our devices.
We have an active initiative right now to directly help them achieve
this.

So this makes it pretty clear: the apps should be either web apps or ported to Ubuntu.

It may be possible with OpenMobile's Application Compatibility Layer . They have already demonstrated it with Tizen OS and from its site, it is clear that it will be available for Ubuntu toooo ............
http://openmobileww.com/products.php

As previously answered, canonical won't support android apps on ubuntu touch. Their official reasoning is that "native" apps are faster. A point they don't mention is that oracle draged google on a billionaire lawsuit for using java on android (google "google oracle java lawsui"t). It should be pretty simple for ubuntu to support android apps, but it would require the "dalvik vm" which might drag canonical in a lawsuit too big to make it all worth it. However, third parties can, and most probably will port dalvik to ubuntu in order to support android apps, I bet someone will do it right after the official ubuntu touch is released. The problem with all this is that it does not solve the problem of legally runnning apps bought for android. I don't think it should be a problem for free apps though.

Now that Oracle severely lost that lawsuit, using alternative implementations of Java is probably much safer for everyone (including Canonical) than it ever has been before (including before Oracle's acquisition of Sun). But I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. :) As a separate matter, why would it be illegal to run an app you have purchased on a "weird" system? It's not illegal to run properly purchased payware apps on CyanogenMod. (I can think of possible weird licensing restrictions, but that could apply to gratis apps too.)
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Eliah KaganAug 16 '13 at 13:57

As an update: The dalvik VM is being obsoleted by ART, which translates the Java apps into native apps upon installation. Thus, even if it isn't official, I'm positive that once Ubuntu phone devices are established, some hacker will port ART to Ubuntu phone.
–
Andreas HartmannFeb 4 at 15:17

Although they have said they will not officially support it, it should not be hard now that ART can be used in place of Dalvik. I am sure a developer will create an Android Runtime for Ubuntu Touch, as seen in BlackBerry OS 10.1.